1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to devices used to transport other items to and from a work site, specifically to a tool caddy, tool box, tool bag, tote, or other carrier that is attachable to the tray on a memory scale through which a user can determine with only a quick glance at the scale's display screen whether all of the tools and/or other items previously held by the carrier are all accounted for. When arriving at a work site, its user simply activates the sturdy but lightweight memory scale secured under the carrier so that the scale treats the weight of the caddy, tool box, tool bag, tote, or other carrier, and all of the items carried by it, as a tare weight and produces a zero on its display screen. Then, when the user is ready to leave the work site and the user believes that all items brought to the work site have been replaced in the carrier, the user again looks at the display screen for verification. If the display screen still reads zero, then no item is missing and the user can leave the work site without needing to conduct a time-consuming inventory of items in the carrier to prevent loss of expensive tools, parts, or other items. In the alternative, should the display screen show a positive weight, the user would know that an item was inadvertently acquired, and the user could make an attempt to find the added item and remove it from the carrier. Should a replacement part be removed during work progress and used for a repair, the user simply would activate the scale to recalculate the tare weight without the used item, so that a zero is again produced on the display screen. At the time of departure from the work site, the user would then know if all of the remaining items are on board by the presence of a zero on the display screen. The absence of a zero weight measurement would indicate either the acquisition or loss of items, with the weight of such items shown as a measurement in pounds, ounces, or metric units. Thus, a user only has to remember one number, a zero, instead of differing weights that would result each time the carrier contained a different assortment of items. Further, the identification of weight on the display screen gives the user time-saving information about the approximate size of the item or items to look for and retrieve (or potentially remove), before moving the carrier and its attached memory scale to a new location. The carrier used with the invention for one application can be interchangeable with carriers that are larger, smaller, and/or differently shaped for user convenience in transporting a wide variety of tools and other items in differing applications. Also, the display screen is removable from its usual location and able to be re-affixed to another surface, so that it can be placed where it is readily seen when an oversized carrier is used. Further, audible signaling means are associated with the invention to let the user know something previously carried by the caddy, tool box, tool bag, tote, or other carrier is missing should the user fail to view the display screen before lifting the present invention for transport to a different location. The tray secured between the carrier and the scale may be similarly used without the carrier to hold items being transported to and from a work site without the user having to worry about leaving carried items behind, or acquiring unneeded items, when moving to a new location. In addition to the transport of tools and repair parts, other applications of the present invention may include, but are not limited to, transport of items relating to fishing, jewelry making, medical supplies, and crafts to prevent inventories of such items from becoming prematurely diminished due to inadvertent misplacement. The terms caddy, tool box, tool bag, and tote will all be in the ensuing description to describe the carrier portion of the present invention secured upon the upper surface of a tray in contact with the scale, and it is intended that the definition of each carrier portion identifying word should be broadly interpreted, unless otherwise specifically noted.
2. Description of the Related Art
When completing installations and repairs, workers can easily become distracted by unexpected problems and/or other activity occurring around them. Also, installations and repairs often require the use of multiple tools, repair parts, fasteners, connectors, tape, marking instruments, and/or other items. Particularly when problems are encountered early on in a work project and the worker must employ a variety of tools to overcome them, one or more of the tools or unused repair parts may become scattered about the work site instead of being immediately replaced in the tool caddy, tool box, tool bag, tote, or other carrier. Then, when the repair or installation is complete, the worker can be distracted by thoughts of the next work project, mealtime, or other activity and leave one or more of the scattered items behind. Millions of dollars are lost each year due to misplaced and/or forgotten hand tools and other items which collectively can prove expensive to a worker and significantly increase his or her cost of doing business. The present invention alerts a worker leaving a work site when a tool or other item is missing from the tool caddy, tool box, tool bag, tray, tote, or other carrier, thus, overcoming this common problem. Although scales are known to have an upper tray used to hold items to be measured, they are not typically designed for frequent transport from one location to another. Further, none is known to have a motion sensor that audibly alerts a user when it is lifted without a tare weight of zero remaining on the display screen.
One of the inventions thought to be most closely related to the present invention is that disclosed as a tote bin scale on the Internet website of publicworks.com under the heading of Product Showcase. It has a rugged design for frequent on and off loading, as well as accurate weighing of off-center loads. The illustration on the web page shows an open-frame basket atop the weighing platform. The other invention thought to be closely related to the present invention is the common top-loading kitchen scale used for measuring the weight of food items. However, the present invention is distinguishable from both of these devices because its upper carrier used to hold items to be weighed is detachable from its lower memory scale, the scale is transported from one location to another with the removable carrier, and audible signaling means is provided to alert a user that the weight of the carrier at its time of departure is different from its recorded weight stored in memory. Although many prior art tool caddies, totes, tool bags, tool boxes, and top-loading scales exist, none of them measures the weight of its contents to keep track of whether items originally on board have been replaced by a substitute item or are no longer present, or alerts a user when additional items not previously present are suddenly and inadvertently acquired. No other apparatus or method is known that has the same structure, functions in the same manner, or provides all of the advantages of the present invention.